CINCINNATI — They still talk in this city about the night Bob Huggins declined to shake Pete Gillen’s hand, how Gillen reacted by shouting at Huggins, how the whole thing was precipitated by coaches from both benches hollering at one another while Cincinnati and Xavier played ball. That happened in 1994. People here have long memories.

That evening now will be remembered as though it were a tea party. As long as the Crosstown Shootout is contested — or, perhaps, for however long it isn’t — what will be discussed will be the day the Bearcats and Musketeers couldn’t behave like adults long enough to complete 40 minutes of basketball.

They’ll talk about the fight that erupted between players from both teams with barely 10 seconds left in the game Saturday afternoon at the Cintas Center.

They’ll talk about how Xavier guard Tu Holloway damaged his All-American candidacy by trash-talking his way into a confrontation with a relatively insignificant Cincinnati freshman reserve who might not score as many points in his career as Holloway will this season — and how that ignited the game-ending brawl.

They’ll talk about how Cincinnati senior Yancy Gates swung his way toward a suspension by throwing a punch that decked unsuspecting Xavier center Kenny Frease — ironically, the first time in 36 minutes of playing time Gates showed any taste for contact.

“That whole scene is embarrassing,” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. “It’s a complete embarrassment, no matter who started what. Toughness is about doing the right thing in life. That’s what we talk about. You take your ass-whipping and go home, and you get better.”

Cronin had lots to be furious about in a 76-53 defeat, but it was not basketball that consumed him afterward.

“Guys need to grow up,” he said. “You’ve got to learn how to win on the one side, and you’ve got to learn how to lose on the other.

“They need to learn to have respect for the fact that they’re on a scholarship, that people come to watch them play. It’s a prime example of people thinking they’re too important, and I’m talking about everybody involved.”

Until the final 20 seconds, this had been one of the genuinely glorious days of Holloway’s career, which is saying something given the crucial plays he made just last week in comeback victories over Vanderbilt and Purdue.

As was the case last season, when the Bearcats won by 20 a few miles up the road at Fifth Third Arena, Cronin aimed the most significant part of his defense at Holloway. Instead of allowing it to frustrate him, Holloway took only one shot in the first 13 minutes and allowed backcourt partner Mark Lyons to steal the show. Eventually, Holloway wound up with 17 points and six assists and an enormous, statement-making victory.

In the final minute, when Cincinnati clearly was vanquished, Holloway was thrown a lead pass that could have been turned into an unnecessary, rub-it-in-their-faces layup or dunk. Holloway lost his balance momentarily and then dribbled away from the goal. It seemed like the play of a sportsman.

When he eventually made a layup at the end of the shot-clock, however, Holloway retreated down the left sideline and began shouting directly into the Bearcats' bench. That led Cincy freshman guard Ge’Lawn Guyn to confront Holloway and shove him with a hand to the jaw; as he did so, XU freshman Dez Wells pushed Guyn to the ground.

Holloway said afterward he had been “disrespected” when Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick told a radio interviewer Holloway wasn't good enough to start for the Bearcats.

“You don’t talk before the game,” Holloway said. “You talk after the game. You let your play on the court talk for you.”

And yet Holloway chose to talk during the game. And when it was called by TKO, after the brawl had embarrassed everyone involved, he jumped on top of the scorer’s table to celebrate.

Gates’ behavior was far more disturbing. During the actual game, he declined most opportunities to assert his physical power within the boundaries of the rules. Xavier forward Travis Taylor, who was outweighed by more than 40 pounds, guarded Gates frequently but Gates stayed clear of the punishment that can occur in the low post. That meant Xavier didn’t have to worry about dropping defenders from the perimeter to double-team him. Rarely open, the Cincinnati starting guards shot 1-for-15 from long distance.

When the brawl commenced, however, Gates suddenly located the aggression he’d been lacking throughout the game.

He can be seen on videotape hurling the ball at Holloway, then throwing a right hook that struck Frease in the left side of his face. It is almost certain Gates will be suspended by the Big East Conference. It is conceivable that suspension will cover multiple games.

“I’m really disappointed in the way that both teams conducted themselves down the stretch,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said. “We’re all competitors. We all played our hearts out. This game means so much. There’s a lot of pressure on both teams to win, and for it to play itself out the way it did at the end — I don’t know of another word other than disappointing.”

Holloway felt he’d been disrespected. His coach termed the affair disappointing. There’s at least one other “dis” word that applies to all involved in the brawl: Disgrace.